Whenever I need to spell the word or eat a banana I can't help but sing that song in my head. I know you know which one I am talking about (the edited version of course!). "This stuff is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" Thank you Gwen Stefani for helping me always spell fruits correctly. I digress.
Chase and I love to eat bananas. They are the perfect fruit to throw in a lunch box or take to a soccer game on the weekends. They can easily be made into pancakes or smoothies. We always seem to have them on hand in the house. Every now and then though we buy too many and they begin to get too ripe for our taste before they can be eaten. I'm too frugal to just toss them in the trash, so more times than not I end up making good old fashion Banana Bread!
You can find the link to the recipe that I use here. I normally double this recipe and it gives me two loaves of bread. I keep one out to eat and I freeze the other loaf to eat down the road or to take to a family function when we are in a pinch to make something.
I made a few loaves of banana bread a couple of weeks back and thought that I would document it and show y'all how I go about things. I absolutely love to bake when I can find the free time to do it. My waistline is thankful that I am busy these days, but my taste buds are always wishing for me to spend some extra time in the kitchen.
Find yourself some lovely overripe bananas. The definition of overripe is different for everyone. For me, when the bananas begin to turn black on the outside they are no longer acceptable to be eaten.
Then cream your butter and sugar together. I thank God on a weekly basis for my Kitchen Aid mixer. And also for butter and sugar.
Then just add in your eggs and mix until smooth.
In another bowl mix together the milk, spices, and bananas (I sang that song in my head again just now)!
Potato mashers are not just for potatoes. They come in handy to mash and mix any soft foods (hello bananas and avocados).
In your last bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients.
Then just alternate mixing in the wet and dry bowls until your batter is fully combined. Easy Peasy lemon squeezy. You could also add nuts at this point to your batter. On this particular day I was supposed to add walnuts to the loaves I was making. Chase even went out and bought them especially for this occasion. Needless to say I completely forgot them until the bread was in the oven and almost completely done baking. Whoops. Thankfully my husband is the forgiving type and we found other uses for the walnuts.
Just pour your batter into bread pans and bake away!
Once the loaves are done baking you can enjoy them right away. Or let them cool and freeze them up to six months. Yum Yum Yum!
Baking always brings me back to my roots and reminds who I am and what I was created to be. Baking takes normal ingredients and turns them into something divine and special. Its kind of like life. We are all just a bunch of normal human beings doing our own individual thing in this big wide world. But when we can come together and spend time mixing and forming intentionally, something divine and special happens. We as a group of people can be more than ourselves. We can change the world for the better and make a positive impact. Whether your strengths are leading large groups of people or (like me) baking goodies and sharing them with those in your community, you are making a difference. Always make time for the good things in life. You never know when a passing smile or a shared meal will change the way a person sees humanity. You've got this!
P.S.
Thanks for letting me share not only my love for baking but also my love for community and hospitality. I am so thankful to be able to be a domestic diva as well as a female minister and also an independent woman.
What are your favorite ways of sharing love and hospitality with those around you and your community? I would love to hear your stories.
-S&C
